Ninth Month -Venus Callipyge-
by FalstaffKisaragi
Summary: The Inner Guardians have a hot springs meeting to talk about romance and pregnancy. Except for Minako, who isn't pregnant and doesn't have a boyfriend at all. Minako wonders about her life, until the friendly vacation takes a turn in a way it hasn't for many years.
1. Esquiline Venus

The wooden door to the hot springs slid open with a gentle creak. Five towels in pink, blue, red, green and yellow were hung across the fence. The Juban Public Hot Springs welcomed their guests. Though the proprietors were unaware, that this town could continue to peacefully exist was owed to their latest guests, even if they did not announce it themselves. The clerk at the desk vaguely recalled seeing them before, perhaps during her high school days when she had been rescued by a superhero.

Being a hero isn't something one simply stops doing as one gets older. The desire to save people is always there, the problem is that society keeps throwing obstacles in the way to make it harder to save everyone. That's why the star of this story, Minako Aino, yearned for a position where she could see and be seen, the dream of every young girl who was forced into fighting monsters at an age that was probably too young. To be an idol! The problem is that being an idol hadn't really worked out as she'd hoped, so she'd settled for being a character actor playing bit parts around the Tokyo movie studios.

She always kept her phone nearby in case a role came up, and that didn't change, not even now. The sounds of ten feet splashing into the water echoed through the hot springs, the sound of a nearby waterfall gently churning in the background. Minako waited for the fog to clear from in front of her eyes, and then looked up at the friends she had been fighting alongside for years.

"I'm feeling kinda out of place here," Minako said, standing up in the hot springs. "All of you have gotten…big."

There was another purpose to this trip. In the middle of the summer, Juban's protectors needed some rest and relaxation. They also needed a way to do so that would not disturb the jewels of love growing in their stomachs. Usagi, Ami, Rei and Makoto were all pregnant. Though their bellies were in different states of swelling, Minako's stomach vanishing beneath the still, bubbling waters of the hot springs made her friends give a collective sigh.

"Usagi, don't you need to be taking care of Mikage?" asked Makoto.

"It's not a problem, I have Mamoru watching her for the weekend!" said Usagi, laughing triumphantly.

Mikage was Usagi's first daughter. Her face seemed like a familiar stranger, and perhaps a sign that the timeline had changed, but no messages had arrived in the mailbox for Usagi, from her future self.

Minako cast her eyes downward at Usagi's stomach. She had some good birthing hips, though that may have had to do with her unending appetite. Her nipples were still clearly a shade of pink, despite being on her second pregnancy. Minako wondered if the Silver Crystal had something to do with making it easier on her, in order to ensure the Queen lived to rule her kingdom. Usagi teased her belly button, now an outie, and dined on the snacks she had brought outside, now gently floating in a nearby washbucket.

"You concieved again really quickly," said Ami. "You'll have to tell me how you're able to find the time and the energy. Ryo can read my mind, but it still took many tries before I overcame my inhibitions. I did a lot of reading on the Internet before we started."

She blushed right afterward, or perhaps it was the heat of the springs.

Ami had reunited with Urawa years later. His supernatural understanding of the world gave Ami a chance to broaden her horizons beyond what was written in the textbooks. Ami was getting her credentials to become a teacher when they proposed, and they were now sharing an apartment.

"What kind of material?" asked Minako, sliding up to Ami's side and placing her head on her shoulders. "Come on, it's just girls here."

"But it's really embarrassing…" Ami said.

"After how candid Usagi was during her first pregnancy, this can't possibly be worse. Remember when she woke us all up in the middle of the night?" said Rei.

"That was a very important crisis!" Usagi said.

"He wanted me to wear my swimsuit in the bedroom," Ami said. "After I went swimming. He said the chlorine smell and the sweat were sexy. It was pretty fun." She cracked a smile.

"Cosplay? Ami, you're too pure," Minako said.

"I didn't trim my bikini line. I hadn't gone swimming in a while, so the hair stuck out," Ami said, her voice slowly rising in volume.

"You go, Ami," said Minako, gently pressing her finger into Ami's bosom.

"That's bold," said Makoto.

"You're supposed to shave down there?" Usagi said, bewildered.

"It's not like any of us had to worry about that during high school," said Rei. "Minako, if you're curious. Yuichiro is doing just fine. He's taken on the Hino name."

"Here I thought you were going to have an international success life," Minako said.

"It's good to keep the traditions of the shrine going," Rei said, unfolding her arms from her breasts. "It's not like I want to stay in high society for that long anyway."

Minako looked at Rei's gravid body. She had always been the model of a Japanese woman. Her nipples had darkened considerably during pregnancy, becoming close to the same shade of black as her smooth hair. Rei still carried herself with class at the shrine, even as her belly protruded from her miko robes.

"Yuichiro's spiritual energy joining with mine has made my fortunetelling abilities even more potent," Rei said smugly.

"Yuichiro doesn't seem like he'd be that great in bed. He's kind of awkward," Minako said. "You'd have a much better time with me." She whispered in Rei's ear, moving her hand down towards the shrine maiden's nipples, gently teasing the darkened protrusion with her fingers.

"That was in high school," Rei said, gently pushing Minako's hand away from her breast. "Yuichiro and I are from a traditional family, so we do traditional things."

"Like?" Ami inquired, rubbing her belly in the corner.

"The Hino Shrine's courtship song festival. After everyone went home, we had courtship. We fucked under the stars," Rei said.

"Wouldn't the grass hurt your butt?" Usagi inquired, downing another snack.

"You use a towel, Usagi. It's like flower viewing. Except you're viewing them from on top of his loins while he's complimenting you on how good your hips are," Rei said. "You wouldn't be able to do that."

"I'm sorry I can't create a barrier around my house!" Usagi said, reaching for Rei's cheeks.

Ami waded across the hot springs and rubbed Makoto's swollen belly. Makoto had grown the most of the four, and her already big breasts had gone up at least a cup and a half since she became pregnant. She was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl, and had already started preparing the upper floor of her business for their arrival. Her motherly instincts were showing, but she was also the one who could carry all that furniture up the stairs by herself.

Makoto had started a small cafe called Jupiter near the end of her college career. She took a few of the older, about to be scrapped arcade machines from Crown, as well as their older karaoke box, and made the place her own. She was able to do this because she had proposed to Motoki from the other side of a two player arcade game.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been able to beat that game," said Minako. "My video game skills are second to none!"

"You hacked the machine to make it a communication booth," said Ami. "I'm impressed." She turned back towards Makoto. The two of them had started warmly rubbing each others' bellies, their outie belly buttons getting caught between their fingers.

"Thanks, Ami. I knew I could count on you," Makoto said. "I love Motoki, but he keeps wanting to decorate the place with turtles."

"That sounds like Motoki," said Usagi.

Makoto looked across the hot springs towards the brightly lit interior of the resort. "This is what it was like when we really went at it. The cafe was closed for the night, so we dimmed the lights, got up on one of the tables and went at it. Then we did it again while I was wearing only an apron the next morning."

"That's so romantic. Wait, your customers eat there!"

"The table was cleaned afterward," Makoto said. "Don't try to insinuate things like that. This cafe is very important to me."

"It's better than doing it in Mamoru's cramped apartment." Rei said.

"His apartment isn't cramped, it's intimate," Usagi said in protest. "It's just more fun to do it in the living room."

"At least hang a do not disturb sign or something," Rei said. "You're breeding like a rabbit!"

"It's in my name, isn't it?" Usagi asked.

Minako retreated behind a rock on the other end of the big pool. The sounds of Usagi getting in another spat with everyone echoed faintly in the background. She thought back to the man who was once Adonis, and his parting words. Now, they echoed in her head like a curse.

"You will be hopeless when it comes to love, for all eternity. Your fate is to keep fighting."

It sounded poetic, but the fighting eventually came to a close. There had been peace in the world for years now, though she always kept her transformation pen by her side just in case. She was a fighting a fight that wasn't there for a love that would never arrive.

The Sailor Guardians had cheated Destiny before.

In between acting gigs, Minako tried hooking up with her co-stars, men and women alike, but none could handle her energy in the way Rei or Makoto could. She had gotten in the habit of carrying a condom in her back pocket and trying to have friendly, casual sex at love hotels in hopes of finding the right match. She'd only three men take up the offer over the past six months, and two had to be declined.


	2. Venus Genetrix

The last one was on a hot summer night, when it looked as though the streets would melt from the heat. Minako was visiting her old haunts. She had opted for an orange casket hat to keep herself inconspicuous. Her golden hair would stand out even in the sunset. She was talking with Hikaru, her oldest friend. Looking at Hikaru's face, it was as though she was staring at a black-haired Ami. She was more outgoing, and had been taking up art in the intervening years.

"Minako!" said Hikaru. "It's been years. What have you been doing?"

"Things. I might have died once," said Minako, exhausted from having to do a single line several times over.

"You're such a kidder," said Hikaru. "I'm looking into doing backgrounds at the nearby anime studio. They're hiring someone for Urupsychic Iroha. How's your idol career going?"

"I won a contest and released a single a few years ago, but it was only a tie-in for a flop of an anime," said Minako. "They were going to release the OVA at some point, but production fell through and now only the song is left."

"That's disappointing. Maybe you'll have better luck with the next one," said Hikaru. "Why did you want to eat here?"

"It's a short walk from a love hotel," Minako said, pulling the condom out of her back pocket and brandishing it.

Hikaru held her head in her hands. "I thought you were looking to make a meaningful connection."

"I haven't had one of those in years," said Minako, errantly flipping her phone open and closed, "at this point, any connection would be a meaningful connec-"

"Amano. Hi, Amano!" Hikaru waved to the man passing them by. He had a lithe build, but there was definition to it. The bottle glasses of his youth had been swapped out for a thinner pair that made him look like a scholar, even though the only thing he was educated in was Akiba culture.

"Amano…" Minako said, transfixed by his appearance. His hair was as spiky as ever, and his resemblance to Umino was unusual, but this was the dweeb who'd had a crush on her back in middle school. Time had been kind to him. "I mean, hi. How's everyone been?"

"Yoruno is working as a radio personality, and Chino's doing some sort of life counseling. I can call them over now, if you want. It'll be like getting the gang back together."

Their party of three was quickly joined by two more. Minako stashed the condom away in her pocket once more, not wanting to spoil the mood in the middle of the family restaurant. She was quiet during the meal, her gaze remaining fixed on Amano. After ordering enough food to make Usagi question her, she called the girls into the cramped bathroom for a private talk.

Minako stood facing the mirror, and asked the others to do the same. It was like she was looking at Ami, Rei and Makoto, with only their hair colors differentiating them. She saw her face between theirs. She had grown into the kind of blonde beauty that should be gracing the cover of magazines and starring alongside big name actors in TV dramas, but all she saw was someone who had consigned herself to fighting. The faint glow of the Venus symbol illuminated on her forehead, blinking and fading back into her skin.

"We all know I'm a fashionable girl with a nice body, but we've all been eating comfort food in this greasy little place. We're all on equal footing. Lift up your shirts and show me your bellies!"

They were full from their meal, but no sign of any pregnancy. Minako felt a warm sense of relief run through her body, from her head all the way down to her butt. It was as if she had found a way to turn back time. She'd be the last among her friends, but she could be the first among her old friends, and break the cycle of destiny and this whole reincarnation nonsense. All she had to do was take the first step.

"Minako?" asked Chino.

"What are you….?" asked Yoruno.

Hikaru stood in front of Minako, and whispered into her ear. "It's okay. We dated in high school, but we simply weren't compatible. Maybe you can find the happiness I couldn't."

Minako tied up the back of her shirt, exposing her midriff to Amano as she returned to the table. "Amano. There's a you-know-what hotel within walking distance of here. Do you want to…" she flashed the condom package, gently lifting it out of the corner of her pocket, "find love tonight?"

"This is so sudden, Minako. I mean, right here in public," said Amano. "Just for one night. I mean, this has nearly been an impromptu date, so…"

"I like the sound of that," Minako said.

* * *

Minako waved goodbye to Miyabi Yoruno and Mamoru Chino, who were walking towards the bustling nightlife of the city with Hikaru, and checked into the love hotel with Amano. He insisted on taking a shower as soon as they arrived. Minako said that she wouldn't bother. Her charms were enough that such a thing was unncessary.

Minako stripped herself of her clothes, shoving them underneath the bed. She was left, sitting in the middle of the dimly lit room in only her orange underwear. She adjusted her red bow and waited for Amano to step out of the shower. He didn't bring the towel with him. Considering the kind of place they were in, getting dressed felt unncessary. Still, he covered himself up like a schoolboy.

This was Minako Aino, the girl he'd had a crush on back in junior high, and now she had grown up into a statuesque beauty. Her golden blonde thatch peeked out the edge of her panties, and her expression had a certain weariness to it. Yet, in those half-lidded eyes, there was undeniably a spark, of the sort of girl who treated every romance as though it was her first.

"Minako. You look beautiful," he said.

"I'm a real sexy Hollywood beauty," she said, unhooking her bra. It slid off her shoulders, exposing her plump, bell-shaped breasts. Her cherry-pink nipples were still soft, more out of nervousness than anything else. "Do you want to skip the foreplay and ignore the condom?"

"Ignore?" Amano said. "Minako, this is so sudden. It's like we're doing things out of order. I've just started working as a comedian, and there's not enough time or money for me to be a father yet…"

Minako removed her panties, and sat back to back with Amano on the love hotel bed. She brushed her fingers past her muff, teasing her clitoris. It slowly stiffened under the gentle touch of her digit, and the ends of her fingers became coated in a clear, sticky juice. Though Minako couldn't see Amano, she could smell his arousal.

The two of them were stark naked, taking in each others' scents – sweat, arousal, and uncertainty – as Minako quietly explained herself. In the back of her mind, she knew that Artemis would be berating her if he was here.

"The first guy I was with cursed me," Minako said.

"Like, actual magic? Has magic been real all along?" asked Amano. He was more right than he knew.

"Amano, do you believe in destiny? Reincarnation?" asked Minako, turning around grabbing Amano's shoulders, pressing her quickly hardening nipples into his back.

Amano looked her in the eyes. He hadn't taken off his glasses, and so Minako saw herself reflected in the lenses. Her hopeful, desperate expression, with barely concealed lust burning underneath, was staring at her with the same ferocity she had in her magical battles years ago.

"Everybody's standing on the shoulders of someone. The best we can do is set a good foundation for them to stand on. To make sure the mistakes of the past don't repeat themselves," said Amano.

"He said I'd never have true love. I hope it's all in my mind."

"Love is all in your mind?" said Amano, running his palms, still dripping with water from the shower, down her cheeks.

"That's not it," Minako said. "The future I saw…the past I saw…they said that my friends and I weren't supposed to find love, or get pregnant, but that doesn't seem to be sticking for them. I don't know if I can do it. Or if I should do it. If this destiny is as ironclad as my past says it is, no matter what we do tonight, I shouldn't get pregnant.

"Amano, I want to make a wager. Make love to me without the condom. If this ends in pregnancy, you don't have to worry. You'll be getting married to a real Hollywood actress in a few years!" said Minako, quickly regaining confidence.

Minako laid down on the bed and folded her legs into an M-shaped position, resting her back against the pillows. The gentleness of Amano's eyes staring into her own made her body run warm with sweat and sap. She flicked her clitoris and placed her fingers on her lower lips, spreading them open in eager wait. Amano removed his hands, and Minako gasped in delightful glee.

It wasn't the first one she'd seen, or the thickest. She was experienced in the ways of lust, but not love. If what she was feeling now with Amano was love, the most special thing about it was that it was for her.

* * *

The morning dawned. The sound of the alarm clock echoed through the soundproof room of the love hotel walls. The bed was covered in stains and sweat. Minako and Amano hadn't bothered getting under the covers, choosing to rest on top of the comforter in each other's embrace.

Amano woke shortly after Minako, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table. The sight of Minako Aino waking up above him was still surreal, like a dream come to life.

"Minako? Did we really?" he said tiredly.

"The Goddess of Love may have your Crystal of Love," Minako said, leaning down for a kiss. "You were pretty good. Thanks for the lovely evening."

"Was I too gentle?" he asked.

"We're such kids. Didn't even order drinks. That was pure hormones," Minako intoned coyly. "I'll give you my phone number. As an actress, I have plenty of time off my shoots." She failed to mention she was a character actress. "Let's do this again."

* * *

The clerk at the front desk didn't notice the creeping light. The man dazzled so brilliantly that he had nearly become one with the halo lights themselves. His appearance was that of a volleyball player from another prefecture, chosen when he needed a form for his purpose. His hair was blonde, with golden flecks sprinkled throughout. It looked solid, as though someone had affixed the entire thing of hair to his head at once. His eyes were a brown that was nearly black, the same color as the mud after a heavy rainstorm. He only donned a deep violet bathrobe, waltzing about the hot springs inn as if he had always had a reservation there.

He stood near the entrance to the locker room, reclining against the wall and monologuing to himself. "All it required was time. Juban City thinks they have found peace once again, but there's one enemy they forgot about. The Dark Agency! Master Jadeite and Mistress Mimete will be pleased to hear that we have located the Sailor Guardians.

"Sailor V, we shall have our revenge."

"Sir, are you going to be using the baths?" asked one of the hotel staff.

"Give me a minute!" shouted the man.

* * *

Minako, her body bright red from soaking neck-deep in the springs for the past five minutes, returned from her wistful memories. It had been a month since she hooked up with Amano, and her body was still regular. There were a thousand different possible reasons, but now, on vacation, was not the time to be thinking about them.

The steam in front of her blocked the view of her fellow Inner Guardians. All she could hear was their voices in the distance.

"Wow, Ami, you have so much!" That was Rei.

"Don't spray it on my face!" Usagi's voice came through.

"Mako, your body must be really strong to support these!" That had to be Ami.

"The water's turning white. It's like a cafe latte," said Makoto.

Minako waded through the mist and arrived at the part of the spring where Usagi, Rei, Makoto and Ami had gotten into a splash fight. Usagi and Rei had started rubbing each others' breasts during the spat, and Makoto and Ami were doing it out of a deep sense of friendship. Minako looked at their breasts, her eyes darting in both directions.

Drops of milk were falling out of their nipples, leaving a clear streak from their areolae all the way down their belly. Minako at first fealt jealous, and then wondered why she was jealous of it. Usagi had been calling her often lately to air her woes, even though she had already been through it when Mikage was born, and should've known what to expect.

Minako extended her tongue like an umbrella monster and lunged towards the girls. The combined harmony of their moans filled the hot springs as Minako's tongue passed over four pairs of nipples, lapping up their milk in a single gulp. Minako licked her lips. She winked, her tongue still sticking out, and gave a thunbs-up.

"Where would you be without me?"

"You were by yourself for a long time," said Rei. "Something on your mind?"

"Just thinking about the past," Minako said. "It's not a big deal. Fighting, loving, what's important is having fun."

"Huh?" Usagi asked.

"You girls are delish!" said Minako, swering the conversation with a hard left. "I won't need to buy milk after we get out of the bath. Your breasts are plenty…"

Minako felt a light slap on the back of her head.

"Let's leave it right there," Makoto said. "We're starting to shrivel up. Let's head back inside and play some ping-pong."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're going to win," Usagi intoned.

"I brought an entire book on ping-pong strategies," Ami said.

The five of them climbed out of the hot springs and onto the stone tiles. They grabbed their towels and started to dry off. All but Minako wrapped them around their waist, leaving their stomachs protruding over the fabric. They took a single step towards the door.

"Where is the enemy?" said a deep voice. "Bring me Sailor V!"

The man stood their like a shadow, a living negative space in the light from the locker room. His uniform looked old but unwrinkled, as though it had been bought in the 90s but never worn. A deck of hanafuda cards was around his waist.

"This is the womens' bath!" Usagi said, covering up her breasts, nearly letting her towel slip down before grabbing it with one hand.

"Who are you anyway?" asked Ami.

"I…am Spectorlite!" declared the man. "Scout for the Neo Dark Agency."

"The Dark Whatsit?" asked Rei. "I've never heard of them."

"The Dark Agency…" Minako said, stepping one foot forward in preparation for a fight. "I thought I finished dealing with you years ago."

"We have reformed in the modern era under Master Jadeite and Lady Mimete! We shall not make the same mistakes as those other fools in attacking this city," said Spectorlite.

Minako reached into her cleavage and felt a brief spark of magic, materializing her oldest transformation pen. The Boss hadn't contacted her for a long time, but she knew it still worked.

"Moon Power, Transform!"

Minako hadn't shouted those words in years. She knew that it wouldn't grant her any significant amount of power, especially compared to those she had recieved from her reincarnation, but she didn't need that level of power. Not now. She felt the familiar warmth as ribbons of solid light wrapped around her body, adjusting the size of her outfit instantly to her older self. The familiar mask snapped itself across her nose.

Propelled by the excess energy from bringing the suit into being, Minako jumped on top of an overturned bucket, carefully watching her balance as she announced herself to the monster.

"Sometimes, I'm an idol, sometimes I'm Neo-Queen Serenity's body double, and sometimes I just want a guy in bed! I'm really… Champion of Justice, Sailor V, has returned!" Minako turned around and posed, lifting one arm near her head and holding the other under her chest. The back of her skirt flipped up in the wind, revealing her leotard-clad butt.

"Sailor V?" the hot springs party said in unison.

Minako simply nodded at them, and jumped onto the roof of the hot springs inn. The crescent moon illuminated their battle, turning Minako into a silhouette on the roof. Her motions were swift and difficult to make out from a distance, but elegant in their style, as if she was performing a ballet for the amusement of nobody in particular.

"Crescent Beam!" Minako shouted. A golden ray of light reflected off her compact and shot into Spectorlite's eyes. He tried to get in a hit on her, but had been momentarily blinded by her attack. Minako did a flip on the roof and landed behind him, giving him a swift kick in the buttocks with her shoes.

Spectorlite turned around, his vision now restored, and found himself face-to-ass with Minako.

"Venus Sulfur Smoke!" she shouted. A cloud of thick, yellow gas filled the clear mountain air around the top of the inn with a hissing noise. The stench could be smelled from down below. The other Inner Guardians pinched their noses.

"Minako! That's not clever!" Rei said. "We have to help her out."

"But we're…" Ami said. Her doctoral knowledge bubbled to the surface.

"If Neo-Queen Serenity can fight, I'm sure Usagi Tsukino can," said Makoto.

"One more time," Usagi said. The Eternal Moon Article and the Crystal Change Rods materialized in their hands, shining brightly on the starry mountainside. Minako slid out from under her gas cloud, and revealed she had produced hers as well.

"Venus Crystal Power!"

"Mercury Crystal Power!"

"Mars Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

"Moon Eternal!"

"MAKE UP!"

Minako jumped in front of the moon. Her costume was wrapped in a golden light as her Sailor V outfit had sparks of gold energy run across the fabric, transforming it into her Sailor Venus outfit in an instant. Down below, her friends were enveloped in their elements. The suits adjusted themselves, spreading and enveloping their pregnant bodies, fitting as snugly as they did back in their high school days.

"Agent of Love and Beauty, the pretty sailor suited guardian, Sailor Venus!"

"And the Sailor Team!"

"In the name of Venus, I will punish you!"

"Sailor Venus? I hadn't heard about this," said Spectorlite. He tossed a few of his cards at Minako, but she swatted them away with her chain, causing them to gently fall onto the tiled roof.

"A lot can change in a few years," Minako said. "Who are you?"

"In the past, I was known as Anchises," he said. "Your biggest fan back on the Planet Venus! I sent you a letter."

"Sorry, I don't recall that name," said Minako. "Who I was in the past isn't going to drag me down now. I'm Minako Aino, super idol!" she posed triumphantly. "Girls, lend me your power. I think we can defeat this chump in one shot."

"Chump!?" said a bewildered Spectorlite.

Minako held her compact above her head. It radiated with her own energy. Usagi, Rei, Ami and Makoto pointed their weapons at the roof of the inn. Beams of colored light were absorbed into the compact's mirror. Minako closed the compact, gathering the energy into a potent rainbow. The compact vibrated in her hands, shaking with the force of the powers cooped inside.

She opened it up, releasing the heat and light, and focused all of it on her fingers. "Venus Love and Planet Shock!"

Hearts in five colors spread out from her fingers, barraging Spectorlite like a swarm of angry bees. He let out a pained scream as his body lost its physical form and returned into a mass of crystal and pure data from which he had been composited. The pebbles crumbled and fell off the roof, being swept away in the same wind.

"Victory!" Minako said, giving the V-sign. Her Venus outfit faded into her Sailor V suit, which faded into her standing naked on the roof of the inn.

"Get down from there before you cause a scandal!" Rei and Makoto said simultaneously.

Minako clutched her compact to her chest, the last bits of energy falling out of it. She felt a warmth in her chest, likely her heart pounding from the heat of battle. Minako gently squeezed her breast, and saw a tiny white drop fall out of her nipple. The drop fell from her finger to her tongue. It was sweet, but slightly bitter.

"Thank you," Minako said quietly. She returned to the ground, smiling broadly.

* * *

The room was dark. Minako looked at the photo of Amano in her smartphone. She sighed and closed it, removing the last bit of light from around the futons. She felt two large, round bodies roll up beside her. Rei was on her left and Makoto was on her right.

"It's fine to go at your own pace," said Rei. "Sorry if we were making you feel bad."

"Tomorrow, we're doing what you want," Makoto said. "Usagi and Ami are okay with it."

"I love you girls," said Minako, pulling them closer to her side. She fell asleep, nestled between the warmth of friends. As her heavy eyelids closed, Minako fell into a dreaming state. Not of the past or future, but of the bright tomorrow where Minako Aino was the star.


End file.
